17 April 2024
President Norris Peterson
Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce
90 4th Street, #200
Troy, NY 12180
Dear President Peterson:
I hope this message finds you well. When I lived in Utica for 6 years, visits to your county were always a good time. Now that the pandemic has receded, they need to go back on the list again.
Lately I have started poking around with folks who supported Trump in 2016 to see if they still support him now. One of them is a businessperson who lives in Troy. I just wanted to see if all the craziness, especially January 6th, had driven him away??
Rensselaer County has a lot to offer. The best part is it does not matter what you are into. If you like art centers and museums, those are available. If you like golfing or hiking, nature is on call 24/7. I have to admit I miss it.
That brings us to today’s subject?? How long do you want to be missed by the many?? Everyone remembers what Upstate New York looked like back in 2016 outside of major cities. Thank God I lived in Utica. Everything was Trump drenched. I fully understand that was part New York politics and part a counter reaction to Albany and New York City, where Trump lost 86/13.
I understand that a lot of business centered folks, especially small business owners, thought Trump was going to work out for them. Turns out he was just for the billionaire crowd. Has the trade been worth it??
Are you saying it’s worth losing visitors and customers to openly support someone who hates women and non Evangelical Christians while he’s on trial for spending campaign money to cover up an affair?? Would you rather have an employed work force or taxes lower by a fraction of a percentage point?? Would the business owners you serve rather carry AR-15’s into supermarkets or hang onto their health insurance??
These same opportunities are being missed everywhere. I understand the commitment to conservatism, I’m a supply-sider, but when it brings all this baggage?? Oh that’s right, Trump doesn’t just show up with baggage. He also shows up with an “access to all your cash” entitlement.
Have you talked to any Republicans further down the ballot this year?? Have they complained about the lack of GOP resources since the Trump family is using them up regularly?? Did you hear about the plans for the Truth Social stock leaked this morning?? How about today’s announcement that the Trump team wants 5% of any fundraising that occurs after his likeness is used??
No one would ask you to support people who don’t share your interests. No one would ask you to support candidates who are not business friendly. However, when it comes to Trump isn’t it time to put up some boundaries and demand better?? When all the cash has been sucked into his legal fights and no members of your Chamber have benefited directly, what’s the plan then??
By the way, how do the young women business owners connected to you feel about knowing their daughters and nieces won’t have Reproductive Freedom if the Republicans get their way?? How do they feel about living in a Christofascist nation when women are second class citizens and under constant inspection?? Don’t you owe it to them to say something now?? I bet it would increase profits for all businesses connected to your Chamber.
Yes, you will find friends over here in the Democratic Party who want better governmental procedures related to commerce and lower taxes overall. However, right now we can’t get anywhere near you because of Trump. Don’t tell me you don’t see through him. Don’t tell me that if he wasn’t the President and he should show up in your community, you wouldn’t tell every business owner, especially those involved in funding sources, “Hey, watch out for that guy.”
So here’s your chance. You can announce to the world, “Yeah, what goes on in New York City and especially in Albany ticks us off, but Trump is a step way too far.” Or you can sit there and watch Trump eat up resources that would do much better in the average business owner’s hands. One makes you famous and drives a lot of profit to your doorstep. The other just lets things bleed out as they are now.
There is some good news. Thanks to COVID, old age, and Trump’s need to appeal to the worst of us, the Republican Party shrinks daily. Because most Board of Elections are underfunded, especially in red states, sampling is off so polling is off by 4-6 points. This problem with the Trumpists will eventually be taken care of by natural causes. However, how much pain does everyone have to go through in the meantime?? As a business leader, you could take the reins and cause the turnover to start now. That choice is yours.
Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
In Hoc Signo,
Robert T. Oliveira
Making my own decisions as I work in Groton, CT today
401-391-6402
Quahogs United 